Water Water Everywhere

Water, Water, Everywhere

We are bombarded with reminders to drink more water, and for good reason. Most people are chronically dehydrated. I have to confess to being in that state more often than I’d like to admit. We get busy or distracted and we just plain forget to drink enough. As these waning days of summer are still hot and dry, we really need to remember to get extra fluid to counteract the effect of the heat.

There is some debate about how much we should drink in a day, but anywhere from 2-3 litres is the standard recommendation depending on water content in our food, weather/temperature, activity level and state of health.

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Why do we need to drink enough water?

1. To assist mental function; our brain needs to be hydrated to stay alert and fog and headache free 
2. To keep our joints and muscles supple and lubricated, especially before exercise
3. Promotes good digestive, kidney and bowel function
4. Prevents excess eating, as thirst is sometimes mistaken for hunger
5. Keeps body fluids that transport nutrients, promote circulation, assist detoxification, create saliva, maintain body temperature in better balance
6. Keeps skin moisturized and youthful 
   

How to make sure we get enough water?

• Measure out 2-3 litres in the morning and fill up water bottles (metal or glass) as a visible reminder
• Start your day with 2-3 cups of this water to rehydrate after the night’s repair and drink larger quantities between meals and smaller quantities with meals to prevent dilution of stomach acids needed for digestion
• Eat high water content vegetables and fruit 
• Balance off water leaching drinks (coffee, alcohol) with equal quantity of extra water
• Get some in your meals through soups, stews, and from teas and other high water content foods and beverages
  

What’s the best type of water?

While there is some debate, in general filtered tap water is sufficient. Carbon filters usually will remove the chlorine and make the water taste better. You may need to have your tap water tested to know the best type of filter to use to improve your water to suit your needs. If your water is fluoridated, you will need to get a more advanced type of filter to remove it, as the more basic filters won’t do the job.  

Avoid bottled water. The environmental impact of this petroleum-based product is immense, not to mention the waste of the leftover bottles that aren't adequately recycled and the contaminants that leach into the water from the plastic.

Watch your consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. It is very easy to eat a whole meal’s worth of calories in one large drink (soda-pop, flavoured coffees, slushies etc.). You won’t feel like you have consumed any nourishment and will need to still eat a meal. Don’t substitute sugar with toxic artificial sweeteners. 

If you have access to fresh natural spring, that would be the best choice www.findaspring.com

It’s time to be mindfully aware of the state of our hydration and the state of our water sources. With the current weather challenges (droughts and floods), pollution (our waterways are bearing the scars of years of mindless pollution) and politics (please don’t ignore what is happening to our water and the “ownership” of what many know is a basic human right), water is more important then ever.

Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine. ~Slovakian Proverb


We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732